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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25115617">The Ghost Pearl</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookWyrm42/pseuds/BookWyrm42'>BookWyrm42</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Animus Magic (Wings of Fire), F/M, Hurt/Comfort, IceWings (Wings of Fire), OC, SkyWings (Wings of Fire)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:20:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,891</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25115617</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BookWyrm42/pseuds/BookWyrm42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>after years of living in the Ice Kingdom, Frost and his sister, Snowball, leave to seek a new life. after taking a job defending a small Skywing village from attackers, they end up caught up in something much deeper than the realized. Takes place 6 months after Book 10</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Frost/Sparrow, Snowball/Cardinal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Moving (Frost)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was cold today.<br/>
Not that it was ever warm in the Ice kingdom. It was the beginning of winter, and it was colder than usual in the arctic. I flew over the shores in search of a seal or moose to eat. I was running out of money, and I knew with winter just around the corner animals would become even more scarce than they normally are. I finally found a seal after about 15 minutes, so I swooped down and killed it with a quick strike of my claws. I picked it up and carried it back to our house. As I flew back, I thought about ways to make money. I had already tried to get into several jobs around the palace and such, but they all denied me. I didn’t really want a regular job either. I was a soldier, a fighter. I fought in the War of Sandwing Succession, just like my father. </p>
<p>	I landed outside our house, a small building located just outside the palace. It was a house built for four dragons, but after our father died in the war and our mother to the plague, it was just me and my little sister, Snowball. </p>
<p>	“Frost, is that you?” I heard her say from inside. “You’ve better have brought dinner. I’m starving.”</p>
<p>	“Yes. I caught a seal,” I walked inside, and set the seal down on top of the kitchen counter. I grabbed a knife and started cutting away at the seal, carving out chunks of meat. </p>
<p>	“Just one seal? This won’t even last us for two days!” Snowball exclaimed. Snowball was only five and was small for her age. She had white scales and dark blue eyes. She was really skinny, due to the lack of food.</p>
<p>	“Sorry. If I had flown any further, I would have been dark before I got back. I didn’t want to keep you waiting, and It gets too cold at night.” I answered.</p>
<p>	“Why can’t you just go to the seal lake things that that one animus made?” she questioned. </p>
<p>	“First, I am First Circle, I don’t do that. Second, it’s always crowded and I don’t want to make others who need it more than I do wait.” </p>
<p>	“You could let me go. I am Fourth Circle.”</p>
<p>	I tossed her a piece of seal meat and cut off some for myself. There was only enough left for one day, and only barely. “No. I do have an idea, but you may not like it.”</p>
<p>	She bit into the seal meat. “What is your idea?” Snowball asked.</p>
<p>	“Go to Possibility. Or the Claws of The Clouds. Or perhaps the forest just beyond.”</p>
<p>	“If we can get food better than this seal meat. Or just more food.”</p>
<p>	“It’s settled then. We can pack up tonight, and fly tomorrow.”</p>
<p>	I had thought about this a lot. After the battle at Jade Mountain, I had realized that maybe the Ice Kingdom was wrong, at least about some things. I had always had doubts, but after briefly seeing into the Nightwings minds, I realized the Ice Kingdom was corrupt, and that maybe Snowball would live better not under the constant stress of the strick rules of the Ice Kingdom. Not that she followed them. I hated how she completely disregarded the rules. It could get her hurt, or worse. She was smart, and quick to think of a way out of a sticky situation, but still had been caught several times while pulling her “pranks”. The reason she was Fourth Circle was the few times she had been caught. The world would be better for her outside the Ice Kingdom.</p>
<p>	When I woke up the following morning, it was still dark out. It was often dark in the mornings because we were so far north. When I went out of my bedroom, I saw Snowball was already awake. She sat at the table, quietly drawing. I walked up behind her to see what she was drawing. It was our house, with me and Snowball in front. In the back, the Icewing Palace was visible, with tiny dragons flying around. She turned and saw me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	“Ahh!” she yelped. “Three moons, Frost, don’t do that.” </p>
<p>	“Sorry,” I said. “Now, you should eat now. We will finish off the seal, so we have less to carry with us.” After eating, we made sure everything was packed and ready. By the time we were done, the sun had risen, and we began our flight. </p>
<p>	It took several days to reach the border. We had to constantly stop because Snowball had much less stamina than me, and I also had to occasionally hunt for food. Finally, we reached the Great Ice Cliff. Snowball had never seen it before, as she had never left the Ice Kingdom. After crossing, it began to slowly get warmer. We started flying along the eastern coast, so we would eventually reach Possibility, where we would settle.</p>
<p>	As we flew, I thought about the decision to leave. I liked the Ice Kingdom, but the past would always haunt us there. Possibility would be much better, were we would be free of the stress of the Icewing Government. In Possibility, we would find a new life. One better for Snowball. Ever since the battle at Jade Mountain, I couldn’t help but feel like we would better outside the Ice Kingdom. I should stop thinking about this. The decision has been made, and there is no going back now. There is nothing for you in the Ice Kingdom. Nobody wanted you there anyway. </p>
<p>	It had been about a week when we first saw Possibility. It was a medium-sized town, smaller than the Icewing Capitol, but by no means a small village. It had two halves, one on the Sandwing side of the river, the other on the Skywing side of the Village, connected by a large white bridge. We decided we would land outside the town, then ask where we could find an inn to stay in while we find a house. </p>
<p>	By the time we entered the village, the sun had started to set. As Snowball and I walked into town, we saw many dragons. We were on the Sandwing side of the town, but there were still Skywings and Icewings. Many of the dragons were war veterans, and about half of them were injured. We got a few weird looks, but for the most part, nobody seemed to pay us much mind. As we went toward the bridge, we saw several dragons going back to the outside of town, probably returning from a day of work in the town center. I saw an Icewing I recognized from the war. I walked up to him.</p>
<p>	“Hey, uh, Musk Ox? Is that your name? I think we fought in the same squadron,” I said.</p>
<p>	He turned, and when he saw he smiled. “Frost? Man, it’s been so long. What brings you to Possibility?” </p>
<p>	“We need money, and I can’t get work at the palace. Food is also scarce this time of year. Can you show take us to an inn? We will stay there while we find a house to buy.”</p>
<p>	Musk Ox was one of my best friends from before the war. He was almost a year older than me, but we were still in the same class. We did just about everything together. After the war, he decided he wanted to move to Possibility and start a new life. “Why don’t you stay at my place? We have room, and I won’t charge you anything.” </p>
<p>	“Thank you so much!” said Snowball. I was going to decline, but once Snowball had accepted it felt wrong to decline. The savings would be nice, though. </p>
<p>	“Wow, Snowball, you have certainly grown since last time I saw you! Now, follow me. You must be tired after flying all the way from the top of the Ice Kingdom.” he set off at a quick pace. He lived in a large house just outside of town. It was kind of messy, but I was used to that. He showed us the guest room, and I was asleep within a few minutes. </p>
<p>	The next morning, I ate a quick breakfast before heading to the marketplace. I was going to walk around until I found someone hiring for a job I can do. The first hour yielded little results. There were very few dragons hiring, as it seemed there were plenty of dragons ready to be hired. The second hour also had nothing. After two more hours of searching, I bought some fruit from a Rainwing Vendor on the bridge and a small steak from a Mudwing. After eating those, I continued my search. I had been by every building on the Sandwing side of the building, and about half of the ones on the Skywing side. </p>
<p>	It had been about half an hour after lunch. I was getting really annoyed and was about to give up. I was heading back to Musk Ox’s house when a dragon crashed to the ground in front of me. She was a Skywing, with dark orange scales and bright green eyes. She looked exhausted, like she had been flying to far with too little sleep. She stumbled as she got up, then fell down again. I rushed forward to her, to make sure she was okay. She appeared to have only suffered a few scratches and a sprained ankle on her back left leg. She tried to get up again but was so exhausted from flying it looked painful and difficult. </p>
<p>	“Stop,” I told her. “You will only hurt yourself worse. Lay down and rest.” I still had a couple of fruits in a bag that I was saving for Snowball. I gave her a banana, and she ate it in a couple of bites. There were a few bystanders watching us. After a few minutes, I helper her walk back to Musk Ox’s house. Musk Ox was at work, but Snowball was still home.</p>
<p>	“Snowball, get a mattress or something.” she returned in a few moments with an extra mattress. </p>
<p>	“Thank you,” she said, and then fell asleep.</p>
<p>	She didn’t wake up all afternoon. When Musk Ox got home, he seemed extremely surprised that there was a Skywing sleeping in his living room. Which makes sense. </p>
<p>	“Why is there a Skywing sleeping in my living room?” he yelled</p>
<p>	“She, well, um…” I paused, not knowing what to say. “She fell from the sky. She looked crashed to the ground, looking exhausted, and I helped her. I brought her here and she instantly fell asleep,” I finished. </p>
<p>	She stirred, and we all stopped talking. She opened her eyes and sat up.</p>
<p>	“Where in blazes am I? Who are you? Why am I surrounded by Icewings?” she jumped to her feet and went into a defensive posture. Then she remembered my face and relaxed a bit. </p>
<p>	“You are in Possibility. I am Frost, this is Snowball, and my friend, Musk Ox. Now, who are you, and why did you fall from the sky in the middle of town.” </p>
<p>	“My name is Sparrow,” she started. “I came from a village in the forest at the base of the Claws of the Clouds Mountains. Recently, thieves have been attacking our village. We need someone to came and protect us. I flew here to find someone.” </p>
<p>	“Hm. Tell me more. We might just be able to help.” I responded</p>
<p>	“There are four of them. They call themselves the Shadow Raiders. They collect animus objects and use sell them or use them for more stealing. We need protection, as we only have two good fighters in the village, me and Robin. With you, we could probably chase them off for good. We will pay very well.”<br/>
“Tell me more about the dragons in the Shadow Raiders.”</p>
<p>	“There are two Skywings, a Sandwing, and a Nightwing. The first Skywing is the best fighter and the biggest, though he isn’t very smart. He has a horn ring that gives the wearer super-strength. The other Skywing is much smaller but is very quick. He has a bracelet that gives him super speed. He doesn’t do much fighting but will swoop down and blast you with fire. The Sandwing is a decent fighter, but not nearly as good as the Skywing. He wears a necklace that makes his scales invulnerable. We don’t know much about the Nightwing, but we think he is the brains of their operation.”</p>
<p>	“I’ll sleep on it. If I decide yes, we leave first thing tomorrow. If not, I will help you find someone willing.” I said, though I had mostly made up my mind. </p>
<p>	Musk Ox prepared some cow meat he had bought earlier that day. It tasted amazing, especially after years of seals and mooses. Sparrow went to bed early because she had flown so much, but Snowball and I stayed up longer. </p>
<p>	“Snowball,” I said.</p>
<p>	“Yes, Frost?” she responded. </p>
<p>	“I not letting you go with me and Sparrow.”</p>
<p>	“What!” she exclaimed. “Why not. And oh, don’t tell me ‘Snowball, you’re too young’ ‘Snowball, it’s dangerous’ Snowball, you could get hurt.’ I am coming with you, even If I have to do it without your permission. I am almost six, I can be independent.”</p>
<p>	“But you are still a Dragonet. I have made up my mind, and you are not coming with me. It won’t be safe.”</p>
<p>	She grumbled angrily, then stormed off to bed.</p>
<p>	The next morning, I told Sparrow I had accepted the job, and would work out payment later. Snowball stayed in her room all morning. At noon, we prepared to leave. Sparrow said it took her five days to get here, I figured with my slightly slower flying speed we would be there in six. </p>
<p>	It will just be a quick job, a week or two, then I would come back, I thought.</p>
<p>	If only that were the case.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Following (Snowball</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Of course I was going to follow him. He can’t stop me. I followed him for days, trailing so far back Frost and Sparrow were specs on the horizon. It was really hard flying as fast as they were, but I was able to keep up. The hardest part was making sure I didn’t sleep past when they did. They flew at sunrise every morning, so I just had to not oversleep. </p>
<p>Finally, they arrived. It was nearly sundown on the sixth day. The village was small, I estimate around 60-80 dragons living there. The moment I landed, Frost and Sparrow came up to me. </p>
<p>“Welcome to the village,” Sparrow says. “Nice place. And Frost told me you went coming.” she glanced at him. “Anyway, you’re here so you might as well stay.” her voice dropped to a whisper. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re here.”</p>
<p>“Snowball, why do I even bother,” Frost muttered. “By the way, you should work on your following techniques. I saw on the second day and knew it was you the next. A speck on the horizon that never moves it pretty suspicious, so I flew back to find you at night. I knew you would come, so I didn’t bother stopping you.” </p>
<p>Sparrow showed us the various buildings, including the guest house where we would be sleeping, (it looked as if it hadn’t been in use for quite some time,) the town square, where several dragons could be seen selling various wares. It was a quiet town, and life seemed so simple here. No harsh government officials breathing down your spine, no strict rules or rankings. </p>
<p>We headed back to the guest house to set up while it was still light outside, then we would go to bed. Tomorrow, we would work on a strategy for defending against the raiders. Scouts predicted the next attack would be in 2 nights, so we had plenty of time to plan. Frost dumped his bag on the ground, laying out assorted weapons he might use. There were 6 knives, a spear, a sword, and some throwing discs. Why does he need so many weapons? He’s not going to hurt them, right? She certainly hoped he didn’t. He turned around, frowning at me. He looked back down at the weapons, grabbed them and his bag, then walked into his room and slammed the door. </p>
<p>I went into my room and opened my bag. I didn’t bring much, as I had to pack in a hurry. Most of it I didn’t need anyway. At the bottom, I pulled out the two items I couldn’t live without. The first was a painting of our family all together. I was just a tiny dragonet on my father’s head, with a rare smile on his face. My mother was laughing at the commotion, and my Frost was just standing there, a pleasant look on his face. I had no idea who had painted it, but they captured the moment so perfectly. This was the last time I saw my father. If it wasn’t for this painting, I wouldn’t even know what he looked like. The other item was a small plushy, a little Icewing my mother made for me. I called it Seal. I didn’t tell anyone, but if I slept without it I would get nightmares. These were all I had left of my parents. The light outside was fading, and so I decided to go to sleep. I curled up with the Seal and fell asleep pretty fast. </p>
<p>It was still dark out when I woke up. I walked out to the main room of the guest house, finding some fruit in a basket on the table. I picked an apple up and ate it. It tasted good, but not as good as a freshly prepared cow. I decided I would go hunting. I left a quick note for Frost to tell him I would be gone, because otherwise, he would freak out. </p>
<p>Outside the small house, I stretched my wings for a few moments before taking off. I was sore from flying basically a week straight, but having a bed to sleep on instead of bare rock or dirt helped give me a good night’s sleep. I flapped my wings and rose into the sky, feeling the rush of wind. No matter how many times I did this, it always felt amazing. As I flew, I noticed how much warmer the air really was. I had gotten so used to the Ice Kingdoms freezing temperatures. I had no idea what anything warmer would feel like. I had gotten so high the village was only a small scatter of dots on the ground below. I dived down, then spread my wings and glided away, to the edge of the forest. I flew above, searching for animals. As the sunlight spilled over the mountain tops, I spotted a deer. I flew down to it, running my serrated talons across its back, then swiftly turned around. I grabbed the deer’s neck between my talons and snapped its neck. I used to feel bad about killing animals, but that was a sign of weakness in the Ice Kingdom. And If I couldn’t kill an animal, I certainly couldn’t kill a dragon, if I ever had to. I certainly hoped I never had to. </p>
<p>The sun was already peeking over the mountain tops as I flew into the village, the deer between my talons. I tossed the deer at the dirt by the entrance of the hut, right at the moment Frost walked out the door. The carcass hit him on the head, and he frowned up at me. I burst out laughing. </p>
<p>“It’s not funny,” he stated flatly. But he was wrong. It was quite hilarious. He just hated to have fun. He picked up the deer, and in a few quick motions sliced it up. He tossed me a hunk of meat, hitting me in the face. Fair enough. I caught it before it hit the ground, and quickly ate it. It was so much better than all the seals and polar bears and moose I had back in the Ice Kingdom. </p>
<p>Sparrow suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling me. “Hello there! Good morning Snowball, Good Morning, Frost!” she said, very excitedly.</p>
<p>“Good Morning!” I replied, also cheery.</p>
<p>“Mornin’,” Frost said, grumpily.</p>
<p>“Shall we get going? We have a long day ahead of us!” she began walking across the village, to the square. When we arrived, there was already a dragon waiting for us. “Frost, Snowball, meet Cardinal. He’s my brother” he looked a little older than me, with bright red scales and yellow eyes.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he said to me. It sounded almost… flirtatious. </p>
<p>“Hello!” I said back, just regular cheery me. </p>
<p>	“He is a decent fighter, he’ll be helping us. Snowball, is there any way you could assist us? I don’t want you to be involved with the fighting, but is there anything else you could do? Are you any good with strategy?” Frost frowned, but before he could say anything I quickly speak up.</p>
<p>“Yes, actually. I’m top of my class in battle strategy! I have even better marks than Frost” I said with a grin. I realized I had been talking in the present tense, even though I was no longer in the Ice Kingdom and wasn’t taking classes anymore. Sparrow smiled, handing me a scroll.</p>
<p>“This is a map of the town and surrounding area. Cardinal, you go find a quiet spot to plan with Snowball.” she turned to me. “He’s pretty smart as well, you can figure out a defense strategy.” Cardinal smiled at me. It made me uncomfortable. </p>
<p>He smoothly walked out of the courtyard, walking to an area shaded by a couple of trees. I sat down and opened the map. “Can you go get me a quill? And another map, and a blank scroll? Thanks,” I said. I wanted to draw on one map, but I also wanted an unmarked map. The blank scroll was for any other notes I might need to take. </p>
<p>“Sure thing, Princess. Your humble servant will always be here for you” he said jokingly. I shot a cold glare at him, and he stopped smiling and went to retrieve the items I requested. </p>
<p>I studied the map. There was a small marking south of the town labeled ‘Raider Outpost’. I figured that is where the raiders were staying. What if we attacked them? why haven’t they done that already? They probably had good defenses, and Sparrow had said they had a lot of Animus objects. Maybe they had something that could protect them? I would have to go investigate further. For now, my priority was on the upcoming raid.</p>
<p>“Hey, Princess, I have what you requested,” he said, sneaking up on me. I snatched the items from his talons, glaring at him. I already hated the nickname, even though he had only said it twice. </p>
<p>I quickly wrote down the different dragons that had been listed and the animus object they had. First, I had to figure out potential strategies they might use, then come up with one to combat it. </p>
<p>“So whats the plan, princess?” he said, smiling. “I got several good ideas up in here.” he pointed to his head.</p>
<p>“The plan is for you to shut up and let me focus on making a plan,” I said, shooting him another glare. He ignored it. </p>
<p>“You sure you don’t want to hear any of my absolutely brilliant ideas?” he was starting </p>
<p>“Yes. I am quite sure. Now can you please shut up?” I needed to come up with a plan, and the fast he shut up the better I could concentrate. </p>
<p>“Oh come on, at least let me tell you what the did in previous attacks. That’ll be helpful, won’t it?” he did have a point. Knowing other attempts would be nice.</p>
<p>“Fine. Tell me,” he told me about the attacks. When he wasn’t being a flirtatious wreck, he wasn’t half bad. If this was how he normally acted, I might actually like him. Each attack they had made was different. I marked on one of the maps how they had attacked, to see if there was some sort of pattern. At first, it seemed almost completely random. But after he described the 6th and most recent attack, I realized there was a pattern, but it was made to seem as if it was completely random.</p>
<p>“I think I know how the next attack will come” I described how they would attack, and where we need to be. They’ll never see it coming.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Raiders (Frost)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Raiders (Frost)</p>
<p>	I had been waiting for hours. I desperately hoped what Snowball said was right, and they would attack from where she said they would. I was on the north side of the village, supposedly where the strong skywing would come. Sparrow would try and hold back the invulnerable sandwing, while Cardinal would distract the quick one. Snowball was supposed to be sheltering in the guest house, but she probably was observing from a mountaintop or something.</p>
<p>	I stood in between two houses, where I had been for nearly 3 hours. Most of the civilians were walking around, making there way back to their houses. The goal was to make it look like we had no idea an attack was coming, then surprise them at the last second when it was too late for them to do anything. The sun had set about half an hour ago, and it was getting dark out. I stuck my head out from behind the buildings, looking for any potential danger. I spotted a small burst of fire from behind some trees.</p>
<p>	I see you, Skywing scum. I saw a glint of orange scales as a head came out followed by a neck, then a body and wings. He was much larger than me, about one and a half times my size. He looked around, and I pulled my head back. After a few minutes, I could hear his heavy clawsteps heading my way. This guy couldn’t steal from a sleeping rainwing. I could hear his breathing. He would see me any second. I climbed onto the roof of the building on my right, just as he glanced into the dimly lit alleyway, breathing a small blast of fire for light. As he turned to the main street, I jumped on his back, biting down on his neck. He growled loudly, reached up, and tried to grab me. I dug my serrated claws into his back, and he gritted his teeth in pain</p>
<p>	“What the hell are you doing here, Icewing,” he said Icewing with spite. His voice was low and gravely. He shook himself, trying to throw me off.</p>
<p>	“That’s none of your business. All you need to know is that I am here to stop you” I dug my talons further into his back, drawing blood. He let out a loud roar, finally grabbing me around my neck. with incredible strength no dragon should be able to possess, he threw me. I flew forward, crashing into a house. As I got up, I saw him approaching me. He grabbed my leg and threw me again. This time, I caught myself with my wings and was able to land on my feet. He charged at me, and I couldn’t dodge in time. I went flying back, his immense strength allowing him to send me sprawling. This dragon his far too strong for regular fighting. If I try and approach him, he’ll fling into the stratosphere. I’ll have to find another way to get him. The dragon was pretty slow, so maybe I could try and use my small, quick frame to avoid his slow, powerful hits. </p>
<p>	He ran towards me again, but this time I stepped back to avoid his first talon strike, then sidestepped a forward lunge, then quickly moved my neck out of the way of a bite. I continued to avoid his strikes, making him get mad. I smiled as his face bent in rage. His attacks became faster but less precise. I had many opportunities to hit him, but weres the fun in that? I pulled out I knife from a small ouch I kept around my body. He lunged forward, claws reaching out. At the last second, I dropped below the talon strike and rolled out of the way of his body, holding out my knife. It left a thin, long scratch across his side. I smiled as he roared in pain. He turned around, gritting his teeth</p>
<p>	“You’ll regret messing with me,” he said. But he was wrong. I was enjoying myself already, and the real fun had just begun. I put my knife away. He charged at me, but before he reached me he jumped in the air and spread his wing to fly over me. A common trick. I expected the move, reaching my serrated talons up, and scratching his underbelly, leaving 8 long lines of blood. There were wider and deeper than the knife scratch. He whipped his tail down, hitting me in the neck. At least he did one thing right. </p>
<p>	I turned back to him “why would I regret having this much fun” I said with a cruel smile. He grunted angrily, running at me again. He’s probably gonna faint to the side, then launch himself towards my side. He did exactly that. I jumped over his attack, landing on his back again. I dug my claws into his back once more as he started bucking like an angry bull. His bucking only caused my claws to sink in further, pools of blood rising from the gashes where my claws dug in. he roared a loud roar, but in a certain way, not just a regular roar of pain. I bet he’s signaling the others. I had to kill him now. What a shame. I would have loved to have some more fun with him, but I couldn’t let him escape now.</p>
<p>I pulled out my knife, trying to reach it over his through. With one less claw in his back, it was hard to keep my balance. He thrashed harder, and one of my back claws slipped out. He flapped his wings and flipped over. He landed on top of me, knocking the wind out of me. I tried to let out a groan, but there was no air in my lungs. He rolled over, and flapped his wings. He took off, flying away from the village.</p>
<p> “Get back here! Finish this fight like a real Skywing!” I took off after him, but his naturally larger Skywing wings let him stay ahead of me, in addition to his strength letting him gain much more hight with each wingbeat. I could catch him, and he was already too far ahead for me to try and through knives or other weapons at him. I slowed my speed and made it look as if I was flying back. But instead of going back, I swooped around a mountain to see where he went. </p>
<p>I saw him make his way to a small tent. He stood outside, looking to the sky. I landed as quietly as I could, although there was an incredibly low chance he could hear me from as far away as I was. There were a lot of trees obstructing my view, but I could at least see his location and keep an eye out for incoming dragons. Suddenly, a Skywing came swooping down, launching at speeds twice that of what any other dragons could. She had a growl on a face that did not look like it scowled very much. She was really small, about the size of a just matured dragon,m, but her features looked older. The only thing that looked like something an older skywing would have were her wings. They were really big, so she would probably be a fast flyer without the speed bracelet. She had several scratches along the sides and underbelly</p>
<p>I crept closer so I could try and hear them. I saw a large Nightwing stick his head out of the tent. He looked up, and I saw a large sandwing flying down. He was smaller than the buff one, but still much larger than the fast skywing. They looked around and entered the tent. Once they were inside, I went closer so I could hear them, but still take cover should one exit the tent.</p>
<p>“How’d it go?” said a voice. It wasn’t nearly as deep as the buff Skywings, and it wasn’t feminine, so it was either the sandwing or Nightwing. Because the voice sounded like they were the leader, I assumed it was the Nightwing. </p>
<p>“There was am Icewing!” the one I had fought roared. “They must have found some help.”</p>
<p>The first voice answered. “Interesting. I wonder how much they had to pay? It looks like it didn’t go well. You’ll be fine. Nothing we can’t fix.” how do they fix that? Wounds like that should take weeks to heal. “Peregrine, how did you do? You at look as if you at least did better than Condor of there” I wished I could see there faces, but at least I knew their names. </p>
<p>“I fought well,” said a smooth, cruel, voice. “But he caught me off guard. It was the little red one. I couldn’t kill him. He was evasive. It was like he knew where I would come.” </p>
<p>“Very interesting. Maybe this Icewing is smart enough to have figured out my plan. I’ll just have to outsmart the outsmarting. Peregrine, keep watch. I heard the ruffle of the tent opening and slowly walked away. I saw her face poke out, look in my direction, then look away. She went the opposite direction away from me, to a nearby cliff where she could watch the camp. I slowly crept away, not daring to fly. </p>
<p>I had to walk all the way back to the town to avoid being spotted.  It was already completely dark out by the time I got back to the guest house. Snowball was inside already, reading a scroll. When she saw me, she let out a little yelp. </p>
<p>“Are you okay? you’re covered in blood! Let me help clean that off”  she looked at my talons, which had the worst of it, and I could tell she didn’t feel great about it. It wasn’t that she hated blood, but she hated knowing I had hurt another dragon this much, as I had no major scratches.</p>
<p>“It’s fine. I’ll get it in the river later. And I’m fine. Got hit pretty hard, but nothing that won’t be fine in the morning.” I probably would be sore as heck in the morning, but she didn’t need to worry about me any more than she already did. I went to my room, and then cleaned what little blood there was on my weapons before going to sleep. </p>
<p>I woke up early the next day. I went out to go hunt after seeing snowball still asleep. I didn’t leave a note for her. She would figure it out. The sun was still behind the mountains, but the first light was peeking out. I found a couple of pigs and ate them, then carried one back to the house. On my way back, I saw a dragon flying up from the village. It was Sparrow. </p>
<p>“Hey Frost! What brings you out this early?” she said in a cheery tone. </p>
<p>“Hunting. What about you?” I said. Not sure why I cared, but I like talking to this dragon. </p>
<p>“I woke up before sunrise, so I’m going to go see it. I know a lovely spot to go watch it. You wanna come?” she said in a very friendly tone. I didn’t see why I should, but I decided I might as well.</p>
<p>“Why not. It’s not like I need to be anywhere.” well, he should probably bring this pig back to Snowball. But she’d be fine on her own. She can hunt. </p>
<p>She flew past me, and I turned and followed. She reached a small ledge near the top of a mountain, overlooking the village. After a few minutes, she spoke up </p>
<p>“So… how was the fight?” she said. I realized I hadn’t talked to anyone other than snowball since the fight, and my talons and back were still stained with blood. </p>
<p>“It went well. Wasn’t able to kill them. He got away before I could. He used some sort of roar to signal the others. But he took quite the beating. I followed him to their headquarters, where I listened to their conversation. I had to leave or they would have seen me. How did your battle go?” she had fought the sandwing, who was supposedly invulnerable. </p>
<p>“It was certainly a unique experience,” she said with a chuckle. “He wouldn’t bleed. His scales felt as hard as a rock. I’ll have to find some other way to hurt him…” she looked deep in thought. </p>
<p>“I’ll fight him next time. You can take the strong one. Just watch out for when he charges.” I stretched my still very sore muscles. “I don’t think I broke anything.” suddenly I had an idea “what would happen if we attacked their camp? Surely we could surprise them.”</p>
<p>“We tried that already. they have something that prevents us from getting to close. It zaps us with tiny bolts of lightning. We are definitely not trying that again” the beginning of the sunrise began peeking out from between the mountains. Neither of us spoke for a few minutes. </p>
<p>Finally, she said: “it’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I looked down at the sunrise. It was really beautiful. The scenery around it is amazing, with trees and rocks. </p>
<p>“Yes, it is,” I said. I had never been one to watch sunrises. “How did you find this spot?” it was really secluded, only a dragons length wide with an outcropping above, and trees leaving only a small window to see in or out, where we were watching the sunrise from. It would be almost impossible to see from the ground, or from the air. Actually, it would make a really good vantage point to watch the village from. </p>
<p>“My mother showed it to me. And my father showed it to her. Before he left for the war and didn’t come back…” so he was a skywing soldier. She probably fought in the war as well, just like I had, given her age similar to mine and her combat skills. </p>
<p>“Did you fight in the war?” I was pretty blunt and to the point, but that’s how I do things. </p>
<p>She looked taken aback by my bluntness. “Uh… yes? Did you?” she questioned. She looked pretty uncomfortable.</p>
<p>I growled. “Yes. yes I did. I was nearly a commander, I was so close to a promotion. If the war had gone on even a couple more months, I would have gotten promoted and stayed in the military. I wouldn’t have to be here right now.” I lashed my tail. Those stupid “dragonets of destiny” ruined everything. If they had come when they were supposed to, 2 years after they did, I would have gotten my promotion, maybe even gotten to general. I would be living in the palace right now. And Snowball would be living a perfect, satisfactory life. And our mother would still be alive. The three of us would live happily. But when the dragonets came, they ended the war too early. My tail lashed again, more aggressively.</p>
<p>“Uh…” she shifted awkwardly. I realized she, like most other soldiers who were in the war, probably were grateful it had ended when it had. “But if the war went on, think of how many more dragons would have died. How many families would be torn apart” I didn’t care about how many dragons died. Anything for Snowball. And to have Mother. I didn’t care if a hundred dragons had to die, a thousand, ten thousand. It would all be worth it for Snowball and Mother. </p>
<p>“I don’t care. Snowball is worth a thousand other dragons. I would do anything for her. That is why I am here. I’m doing this for her.” my voice had twisted angrily. I wanted nothing more than for her to live a quiet, happy life. I would fight a hundred wars to keep her safe. </p>
<p>She stood there like she wanted to try and argue with me, but stopped. Nothing could change my mind about what I would do for Snowball. And that is why I was here. Sure, protecting the village was nice and all, but I was here for the money they offered. She finally spoke. “Well, uh… the sun has risen. We should go back. We can start planning for the next raid”</p>
<p>We took off, gliding back down through the valley, and into the village. We would plan for the next attack. It would hopefully be the last attack if all would go well. Then we could get out of this tiny nowhere and go back to Possibility, with money, and finally, Snowball can live a good life. If Possibility doesn’t work out, we can go to that Jade City place I’ve heard about. </p>
<p>Of course, nothing would go as planned.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks to everyone for reading, I hope y'all have a great day. any and all feedback is welcome, so go right ahead!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'll update this every Saturday, for the most part. Feel free to give me suggestions/criticisms down in the comments!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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